Old Pulteney 18 Year

Old Pulteney was founded in 1826 and named after the same Sir William Pulteney that the nearby Pulteneytown was. So far north it was only accessible by sea for much of its early history, many of the first workers were also fishermen. Drawing water from the nearby Loch Hempriggs, the distillery currently has one wash still and one spirit still. The core lineup has both No Age Statement offerings along with a few aged whiskies, and the Old Pulteney 18 is the oldest of the current portfolio. Double matured in both second-fill American ex-bourbon and first-fill Spanish ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

Distillery: Old Pulteney
Region: Highland
Age: 18 years
Strength: 46%
Price: $119.99
Maturation: second fill American ex-bourbon and first-fill Spanish ex-Oloroso sherry casks
Location: Wick, Caithness
Nose: Orange oil, apple blossom, vanilla, caramel
Palate: Orange, black pepper, peat, oak, brine
Finish: Black pepper, cream

Comments: Water is not needed at all.

Adam – I don’t often think of craftsmanship as my first descriptor of a whisky but with the Old Pulteney 18, it is the one that seemingly does it the most justice. The nose invites you do smell deeply without fear, greeting you with a strong bouquet of orange and apple ringed with florals that threaten to overwhelm with perfume but know when to pull back to let the foundation of rich vanilla shine. Not a single misstep here, which can be more challenging than appears on first blush. The nose feels like what all Highland whiskies should strive to be, if not in detail, than at least in execution. When I can pull myself away from the dance of fruits and flowers, the palate is a sunrise on the tongue, orange crackling with black pepper and peat and a little brine. Like the best usage of those simplest of spices, the brine and pepper spark the other flavors to greater vibrancy. An element of oak rides through into the finish along with the pepper but yields in the epilogue to a gentle creaminess, which encourages you to continue the story with another sip. There are no odd details out, no wrinkle in the ensemble, no missing piece. While age is not everything in a whisky, this scotch shows how time and craft together can reach places untouched by the vast majority of other bottles on the shelf.

Henry – An intoxicatingly sweet nose of apple blossom, orange oil, and creamy vanilla with an undertone of toasted wood. Wow. Sweetness starts the palate, but then the oak takes over, with black pepper, light peat, big toast, and finally an assertive astringency, which commands the start of the finish before yielding to the sweetness at the end. The peat evokes a lovely turf fire – subtle, which only serves to highlight the summery wonderfulness of this dram.

Ben – The flavor of the Old Pulteney 18 makes me want to chew it, the viscoscity of it. Definitely a nice journey that landed in a really fantastic place and it started with that orange and brine and cowtails, then worked its way into the palate making more sense. Very creamy and oily and vanilla-powered, which is the best part of what oak does. And then that little black pepper at the end in the finish, making you want that creaminess at the end. It’s an endless cycle and the next thing you know, your bottle of 18 year old scotch is gone.

Bill – There’s a hint of a brine here, a little bit of saltiness. It’s really well crafted. It doesn’t have a suprrise or a gimmick but it doesn’t need it.

Mike – The Old Pulteney 18 smells like a contreau to me. At the right angle, the smell reminds me of a San Pellegrino or other flavored soda water. Not a sweet beverage, but almost a La Croix.